Theft-resistant product packaging and related method

ABSTRACT

Theft-resistant product packaging includes a front shell having a matrix of cut-resistant strands disposed within or adjacent to a plastic substrate, and a back cover secured to and disposed relative to the front shell so as to form a cavity configured to contain a product therebetween. The cut-resistant strands may be formed of metal, fiber or fabric forming a matrix of cut-resistant strands which are overlayed, weaved or twisted with respect to one another. The cut-resistant strands may be disposed in a grid so as to form squares, rectangles, diamonds or parallelograms which are welded, glued or bound at the points of intersection

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to packaging. More particularly,the present invention relates to tamper resistant product packaging.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Product packaging is the science, art, and technology of enclosing orprotecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Productpackaging can be described as a coordinated system of preparing goodsfor transport, warehousing, logistics, sale, and end use. Productpackaging contains, protects, preserves, transports, informs, and helpssell the product it contains.

The first product packages used the natural materials available at thetime including baskets of reeds, wooden boxes, pottery vases, ceramicamphorae, wooden barrels, and woven bags. Processed materials were usedto form packages as they were developed. For example, early glass andbronze vessels. The earliest recorded use of paper for packaging datesback to 1035, when a Persian traveler visiting markets in Cairo notedthat vegetables, spices and hardware were wrapped in paper for thecustomers after they were sold.

Iron and tin plated steel were used to make cans in the early 19thcentury. Paperboard cartons and corrugated fiberboard boxes were firstintroduced in the late 19th century. Product packaging advancements inthe early 20th century included Bakelite closures on bottles,transparent cellophane overwraps and panels on cartons, increasedprocessing efficiency and improved food safety. As additional materialssuch as aluminum and several types of plastic were developed, they wereincorporated into packages to improve performance and functionality.In-plant recycling has long been common for production of packagingmaterials. Now post-consumer recycling of aluminum and paper basedproducts has been economical for many years. Since the 1980s,post-consumer recycling has increased due to curbside recycling,consumer awareness, and regulatory pressure.

As of 2003, the packaging sector accounted for about two percent of thegross national product in developed countries. About half of this marketwas related to food packaging. Product packaging serves a multitude ofpurposes today. First, product packaging is physical protection as theobjects enclosed in the package may require protection from, among otherthings, mechanical shock, vibration, electrostatic discharge,compression, and temperature. Second, product packaging may provide abarrier protection from oxygen, water vapor, and dust. Permeation is acritical factor in design. Some packages contain desiccants or oxygenabsorbers to help extend shelf life. Modified atmospheres or controlledatmospheres are also maintained in some food packages. Keeping thecontents clean, fresh, sterile and safe for the intended shelf life is aprimary function. Product packaging may also aid in containment oragglomeration when small objects are typically grouped together in onepackage for reasons of efficiency. For example, a single box of 1000pencils requires less physical handling than 1000 single pencils.Liquids, powders, and granular materials also need containment. Productpackaging is also used for information transmission as packages andlabels communicate how to use, transport, recycle, or dispose of thepackage or product. With pharmaceuticals, food, medical, and chemicalproducts, some types of information are required by governments. Somepackages and labels also are used for track and trace purposes. Productpackaging is used for marketing as the packaging and labels can be usedby marketers to encourage potential buyers to purchase the product.Product package graphic design and physical design have been importantand constantly evolving phenomenon for several decades. Marketingcommunications and graphic design are applied to the surface of thepackage and (in many cases) the point of sale display. Product packagingis also for convenience as packages can have features that addconvenience in distribution, handling, stacking, display, sale, opening,reclosing, use, dispensing, and reuse. Also, product packaging can beused for portion control as a single serving or single dosage packaginghas a precise amount of contents to control usage. Bulk commodities(such as salt) can be divided into packages that are a more suitablesize for individual households and also aids the control of inventory.

One function of product packaging that most people don't realize is forsecurity. Product packaging can play an important role in reducing thesecurity risks of shipment. Packages can be made with improved tamperresistance to deter tampering and also can have tamper-evident featuresto help indicate tampering. Packages can be engineered to help reducethe risks of package pilferage. Some package constructions are moreresistant to pilferage and some have pilfer-indicating seals. Packagesmay include authentication seals and use security printing to helpindicate that the package and contents are not counterfeit. Packagesalso can include anti-theft devices, such as dye-packs, RFID tags, orelectronic article surveillance tags that can be activated or detectedby devices at exit points and require specialized tools to deactivate.Using product packaging in this way is a means of loss prevention.

Unfortunately, theft of goods is quite prominent today despite theadvances in product packaging and theft prevention techniques. Twoparticular packaging types are quite susceptible to theft; the clamshelland blister pack product packaging. Clamshells are generally comprisedof a housing and a chamber for storing products and may be reusable orpermanently sealed. Permanently sealed clamshells are generally formedfrom a clear plastic housing that is sealed together through radiofrequency (RF), sonic vibrations or electrical resistance. As thehousing is generally made from clear plastic, inserts made of cardboardand other materials are often inserted into the clamshell packaging todescribe or label the goods. Blister packs typically have two layers ofcardboard or stiff paper with a clear plastic housing on the other side.Between the clear plastic housing and the cardboard is the product.

Many clamshell and blister packs have RFID tags embedded in the housingsuch that it is difficult to carry the product with the packaging outthrough the sensors at the entrance and exit of a storefront. Therefore,the thieves have simply removed the product from the packaging whilestill in the store. For instance, an area of high theft is in the knivesdepartment. With some retailers, they report to have stolen four knivesfor every one they legitimately sell. The thieves will grab the productoff the shelves, relocate to a less noticeable spot and simply cut openthe package to the remove the product. The thieves will literally use aknife, razor blade, or other cutting tool to slice open the clamshelland blister pack and then remove the product.

To help deter pilfering, the clamshell thickness has increased to makeit harder to penetrate. This also means the cost of the productpackaging itself has gone up and the overall product is now more costly.The cost of the thicker product packaging and the stolen product ispassed on to the consumer. Additionally, such thick plastic packaging istypically slippery, whereby a knife being used to open the package bypenetrating the plastic clamshell can bounce or slip off the package andcut or otherwise wound the user. Many stores want to reduce the amountof wasted material in their product packaging, yet want to prevent orreduce the amount of pilfered goods. Rising oil prices also drives thecost of plastic packaging up.

Accordingly, there is a need for a clamshell and blister pack designthat reduces or eliminates the ability of a thief to quickly and easilyslice open the product packaging to then steal the product locatedinside. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides otherrelated advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to theft-resistant product packaging.The packaging comprises a front shell and a back cover secured to oneanother by folding, bonding, gluing and/or stapling edges of the covershell and backing shell together. The front shell comprises a matrix ofcut-resistant strands disposed within or adjacent to a plasticsubstrate. The cover shell may be preformed with a recess conforming toa shape of the product.

The back cover is disposed relative to the front shell so as to form acavity configured to contain a product. The back cover comprisescardboard, wood, metal, plastic or a matrix of cut-resistant strandsdisposed within or adjacent to a plastic substrate.

The cut-resistant strands may comprise metal, fiber or fabric andinclude a hard, outer shell comprising a hardened adhesive, a powderedmetal, or a ceramic material. The matrix may comprise a grid ofcut-resistant strands overlayed, weaved, or twisted with respect tointersecting strands. The cut-resistant strands are disposed in the gridso as to form squares, rectangles, diamonds or parallelograms. Theintersecting strands are welded, glued or bound at the points ofintersection.

The plastic substrate may comprise a laminate of thermoplastic orbio-film material formed around the matrix. The plastic substratecomprises first and second laminates of thermoplastic or bio-filmmaterial disposed on opposite sides of the matrix and formed around thematrix.

A method for manufacturing the theft-resistant product packagingcomprises the step of providing a matrix of cut-resistant strands. Thematrix is adhered to a plastic substrate to form a theft-resistantmaterial. A front shell is formed from the theft-resistant material andincludes a cavity for holding a product therein. The front shell issecured to a back cover so as to enclose the product therebetween.

The providing step includes orienting a first set of individual strandsin a first direction and orienting a second set of individual strands ina second direction different from the first direction. A matrix isformed by overlaying, weaving, wefting and warping, or twisting thefirst and second sets of strands together. The first and second sets ofwires are secured, welded, glued or bonded together. The first andsecond directions of the first and second sets of wires may be orientedperpendicularly to each other.

The method may also comprise the step of coating the strands with ahard, outer shell comprising a hardened adhesive, a powdered metal, or aceramic material. The adhesive is initially applied as a liquid or othersoft form and is hardened by the end of the process. The adhering stepmay include the steps of applying a first laminate of thermoplastic orbio-film material to one side of the matrix, and heating the matrix andfirst laminate such that the first laminate softens such that it becomespliable. The applying step may include applying a second laminate ofthermoplastic or bio-film material to another side of the matrix. Onceheated the matrix and first/second laminate(s) are pressed such that thefirst/second laminate(s) becomes formed around and bonded to the matrix.The matrix and first/second laminate(s) may also be cooled to fix thematrix and first/second laminate(s) together.

The adhering step includes the steps of pulling the matrix across asurface, dispensing small pieces of thermoplastic or bio-film materialover the matrix on the surface, heating the small pieces such that theysoften or melt around the matrix, and rolling the matrix and heatedsmall pieces such that they form the plastic substrate around thematrix. As above, the matrix and plastic substrate may be cooled to fixthe matrix and plastic substrate together.

The forming step includes the steps of shaping the theft-resistantmaterial into a clam shell or blister pack, and preforming a recess inthe front shell conformed to a shape of the product. The forming stepalso includes the step of forming an unobstructed area in the frontshell that is devoid of the matrix. The back cover comprises cardboard,wood, metal, plastic or theft-resistant material. The securing stepcomprises folding, bonding, gluing and/or stapling edges of the frontshell and back cover together.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following more detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a simplified perspective view of an exemplary manufacturingprocess of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a simplified perspective view of a portion of an exemplarymanufacturing process of the present invention continued from FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a simplified perspective view of a portion of an alternateexemplary manufacturing process of the present invention continued fromFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a simplified perspective view of a portion of an exemplarymanufacturing process of the present invention continued from eitherFIG. 2A or 2B;

FIG. 4 is a simplified perspective view of a portion of an alternateexemplary manufacturing process of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a simplified perspective view of a portion of an alternateexemplary manufacturing process of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view illustration of the structure of FIG. 2A takenalong line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a side view illustration of the structure of FIG. 2B takenalong line 6-6;

FIG. 7 is an illustration of the wire grid before and after theprocessing steps illustrated in FIG. 2A or 2B;

FIG. 8 is a close-up view of the wire grid of FIG. 7 indicated by circle8;

FIG. 9 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a wire meshstructure;

FIG. 10 is a top view of another exemplary embodiment of a wire meshstructure;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure of FIG. 9indicated by circle 11 showing the wires welded;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure of FIG. 9indicated by circle 12 showing the wires overlapping;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure of FIG. 10indicated by circle 13 showing the wires welded;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure of FIG. 10indicated by circle 14 showing adjacent wires twisted and connected;

FIG. 15 is a simplified perspective view of an exemplary manufacturingprocess of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a simplified perspective view of an alternate exemplarymanufacturing process of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a simplified perspective view of another alternate exemplarymanufacturing process of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view of the manufacturing process of FIG. 15taken along line 18-18;

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of the exemplary manufacturing process ofFIG. 15 taken along line 19-19;

FIG. 20 is a sectional view of the exemplary manufacturing process ofFIG. 16 taken along line 20-20;

FIG. 21 is a sectional view of the exemplary manufacturing process ofFIG. 16 taken along line 21-21;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view of the exemplary manufacturing process ofFIG. 17 taken along line 22-22;

FIG. 23 is a sectional view of the exemplary manufacturing process ofFIG. 17 taken along line 23-23;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a clam pack embodying the presentinvention about to package a product;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the clam pack of FIG. 24 now packaginga product;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a clamshell mold embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a clamshell embodying the presentinvention before it is folded;

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of the clamshell of FIG. 27 now foldedabout to package a product;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the clamshell of FIG. 27 now packaginga product;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the structure of FIG. 29 now resistantto cutting with a knife or razor;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a clam pack alternate embodiment of thepresent invention about to package a product;

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of the clam pack of FIG. 31 now packaginga product;

FIG. 33 is a simplified perspective view of another alternate exemplarymanufacturing process of the present invention;

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of a blister pack embodying the presentinvention about to package a product; and

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of the blister pack of FIG. 34 nowpackaging a product.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-3 present simplified perspective views of an exemplarymanufacturing process 10 for theft proof product packaging of thepresent invention. In FIG. 1, a wire grid or two-dimensional matrix 12is formed first. The wire grid 12 is formed from a plurality ofindividual cut-resistant wires or strands 14. The individual wires 14come out of a machine called a creel 16. The creel 16 is able to storethe rolls of individual wires 14. The creel 16 organizes the pluralityof individual wires 14 into the correct location to thereafter form thewire grid 12. A first set of individual wires 14 come out of the creel16 and pass through a series of idle rollers 18. The idle rollers 18help to align the individual wires 14 into their proper spacing.

The individual wires 14 then pass through a weft and warp insertionmachine 20. The weft and warp insertion machine 20 introduces aperpendicular set of wires 22 to the previous individual wires 14 toform wire grid 12. The perpendicular wires 22 are fed from a secondcreel or similar machine (not shown). The weft and warp insertionmachine 20 may place a plurality of perpendicular individual wires 22onto, i.e., overlaying, or weaved within the individual wires 14. Theperpendicular wires 22 can be welded, weaved, glued, bound ortemporarily held into place in relation to their spacing and position tothe individual wires 14. The wires 14 and 22 may comprise metal, fiber,fabric or other cut-resistant material, as described below. The wires 14and 22 may be coated with an adhesive material to increase cuttingresistance. The adhesive material creates a hard shell with fiber orfabric through the core. The wires 14 and 22 may also comprise fiber orfabric coated with a powdered metal or ceramic material to provide ahard outer shell resistant to cutting.

In the next step, illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the wire grid 12 issubjected to a process that adds an adhesive coating to the wire 14, 22.In FIG. 2A, the wire grid 12 is passed through a vat or bath 80 ofliquid or viscous adhesive material 82 that is caused to adhere to thewires 14, 22 by any known process. The adhesive material 82 may comprisea form of polymer which is caused to conform to the wires 14, 22 as byheating or other known process. FIG. 5 illustrates a partial side viewof the process applying this adhesive material 82 to wires 22. FIG. 2Billustrates an alternate process for applying the adhesive material 82.In this alternate process, the adhesive material 82 is applied via sprayguns 84 either above, below or on both sides of the wire grid 12. Inthis method of application, the adhesive material 82 may comprisemetallic, ceramic or carbon materials that are subjected to anelectromagnetic charge 86 as depicted in FIG. 6. It is worth noting thatthe process for applying the adhesive material 84 to the wires 14, 22preferably does not involve sintering or a similar process. Both ofthese adhesive application processes are followed by a heating or curingprocess 87 to set the adhesive 82 as a hardened coating.

The next step in FIG. 3 is when the wire grid 12 with the adhesivecoating 82 is mated on one side to a first laminate 24 from a laminatereel 26 a. The wire grid 12 and first laminate 24 meet when they passover another idle roller 18 or series of idle rollers 18. A secondlaminate 28 may then be introduced from another laminate reel 26 b. Thesecond laminate 28 can pass through a series of idle rollers 18 as itthen mates to the wire grid 12. Now, the wire grid 12 has a firstlaminate 24 on one side and a second laminate 28 on the other side.Alternately, either laminate 24, 28 may be omitted so that the wire grid12 only has one laminate on one side. This is described more fullybelow.

A heat process 30 is applied to the wire grid 12, laminate 24 andlaminate 28 if present. The heat process 30 can be a multitude ofdesigns and configurations used by one skilled in the art. For example,the heat process 30 can be accomplished through an oven, hot air,radiation, microwave/radio waves or other radiometric means. Here, it isshown simplistically as applied heat to the wire grid and forcing itbetween an idle roller 18 and a larger heated roller 32. Heat isabsorbed into the laminates 24 and 28 which cause them to soften andbecome pliable so as to form around the wire grid 12 and also bondtogether. Now the wire grid 12 and laminates 24 and 28 are laminatedtogether to act as a single material of theft proof product packingmaterial 34. The material 34 is then rolled onto a storage reel 36 to beused later to create theft proof product packaging. As can be seen byone skilled in the art, there may exist a multitude of pathways andlocation of idle rollers 18 that accomplish the same end result, andthis disclosure is not limited to the exact configuration shown anddescribed herein.

The laminates 24 and 28 may be made from any common thermoplasticmaterial. Alternatively, the laminates 24 and 28 may be made from abio-film, such as corn-based material. Where bio-film on its own wouldtend to lose its shape and integrity in fairly lowtemperatures—125°-150°—the addition of the wire grid 12 provides asupport framework for the bio-film. With this support framework, thebio-film can retain its shape and integrity in higher temperatures.

FIG. 4 is another simplified perspective view of an alternate exemplarymanufacturing process 10 for theft proof product packaging of thepresent invention. The wire grid 12 can be formed as was in FIGS. 1, 2Aand 2B with the creel 16 and weft and warp insertion 20, or can be takenfrom a premade wire grid reel 38. The wire grid 12 is pulled onto asurface 38 where plastic feed 40 is combined and heated. The plasticfeed 40 is small bits of plastic material. The plastic feed 40 ischanneled into a plastic feed shute 42 such that is can be appropriatelydispensed over the wire grid 12.

As the plastic feed 40 is in the plastic feed shute 42, it is pre-heatedat the pre-heat stage 44. When the plastic feed 40 is dispensed over thewire grid 12, it is further heated in the final heat stage 46. Theplastic feed 40 is distributed over and around the wire mesh. The heat46 melts or softens the plastic feed 40 such that it flows around andbonds to the wire grid 12. The plastic feed 40 and wire grid 12 are thenpulled through a blend and cover chamber where the heat is allowed topenetrate the plastic feed 40 as it forms around the wire grid 12. Next,the wire grid 12 and plastic feed 40 go through a series of leveling andthickness rollers 48. The rollers 48 level the amount of plastic inrelation to the wire grid 12 such that any inconsistencies areeliminated or reduced.

As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the wire grid 12 and plastic feed 40 may bepassed between top and bottom pocket impression rollers 98 designed tocompress the plastic feed 40 through the openings on the grid 12. Asillustrated in the close up of FIG. 4A, the pocket impression rollers 98have abutting teeth 99 configured to create waffle-like impressions 100in the plastic feed 40 that coincide with the shape of the wire grid 12.In this method of manufacture, the impression rollers 98 are necessaryto compress the plastic such that the manufactured material 34 is notunnecessarily bulky or heavy by a uniformly thick layer of plastic. Atthis point the plastic feed 40 has melted or softened and been formedaround the wire grid 12 to create the theft proof product packagingmaterial 34. The material 34 is quickly drawn through a cooling chamber50 to stop any residual melting or movement of the plastic relative tothe wire grid 12. The material 34 is then passed through a series ofidle rollers 18 as it is rolled onto a storage reel 36. As can be seenby one skilled in the art, the material 34 can be formed by combiningone or two laminate sheets 24, 28 with a metal grid 12 or by using aplastic feed 40 which is then melted to the wire grid, as thisdisclosure is not limited to the precise forms described and shownherein.

FIG. 7 illustrates the wire grid 12 along different portions of themanufacturing process illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B. In particular,the left side of FIG. 7 illustrates the wire grid 12 before theapplication of the adhesive material 82 in either FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B.The right side of FIG. 7 illustrates the wire grid 12 after applicationof the adhesive material 82 as illustrated in FIG. 2A or FIG. 2B. FIG. 8illustrates a close-up view of the wire grid as indicted by circle 8 inFIG. 7. In this close-up view, the adhesive material 82 can be seenencasing each of the wires 14, 22 in the wire grid 12.

A multitude of different wire grids 12 can be devised by one skilled theart. FIG. 9 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of a wire meshstructure 12. The wire mesh/grid 12 is made of perpendicular wires,including the individual wires 14 and perpendicular wires 22. FIG. 11 isan enlarged sectional view of the structure of FIG. 9 indicated bycircle 11 showing the wires 14, 22 overlapping and welded 54. The wires14, 22 can be welded every time they cross each other. The welding maybe metallic welding if the wires are metallic, or may be bonded togetherusing an adhesive or other means for attachment. Alternatively, thewires 14, 22 may be weaved together and bonded or attached everycrossing or less frequently. FIG. 12 is an enlarged sectional view ofthe structure of FIG. 9 indicated by circle 12 showing the wires 14, 22weaved 56 together. The weaving 56 can consist of placing one wire belowanother at one location and then above at another location. In this waythe two wires 14 and 22 are woven and connected.

FIG. 10 is a top view of another exemplary embodiment of a wire meshstructure where two sets of parallel wires 14, 22 are combined at anangle relative to each other. The wires may form a diamond pattern, or aparallelogram shape. FIG. 13 is an enlarged sectional view of thestructure of FIG. 10 indicated by circle 13 showing the wires 14, 22welded and FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure ofFIG. 10 indicated by circle 14 showing adjacent wires 14, 22 twisted andconnected 58. FIGS. 11-14 also show the adhesive materials 82 on thewires 14, 22.

FIGS. 15-17 illustrate simplified perspective views of alternateembodiments of exemplary manufacturing processes already describedabove. FIG. 15 illustrates the wires 14 being fed from the creel 16 overidle rollers 18 and into the wefting and warping machine 20 where theperpendicular wires 22 are added. For clarity, the wefting and warpingmachine 20 is not illustrated in FIGS. 15-17, but is intended to be usedas shown and described in FIG. 1. Subsequently the adhesive material 82is applied by the device 80, 84 as shown and described in FIGS. 2A and2B. For clarity, the application and curing processes are shown as box94 in FIGS. 15-17. As illustrated previously in FIG. 3, laminate layers24 and 28 are added to opposite sides of the wire grid 12 and heated byroller 32 before being rolled onto storage reel 36. Notably differentfrom the earlier embodiments, a portion of the laminates 24, 28 extendsbeyond the width of the wire grid 12 so as to create an unobstructedarea 88 that is devoid of the wire grid 12. The purpose for this will beexplained in greater detail below.

FIG. 16 illustrates a simplified perspective view of yet anotheralternate embodiment of an exemplary manufacturing process similar toFIG. 15. However, in FIG. 16 the wire grid 12 is attached to and bondedwith a single laminate 24 as depicted. The second laminate 28 is omittedfrom this embodiment such that the wire grid 12 only has laminate 24 onthe underside as depicted in this drawing. FIG. 17 illustrates aperspective view of yet another alternate embodiment of an exemplarymanufacturing process similar to FIG. 16. However, in this embodimentthe laminate 24 on the underside of the wire grid 12 is omitted and thelaminate 28 on the upper side is included. This again results in a wiregrid 12 having a laminate 28 only on its upper surface as depicted inthe drawing.

FIG. 18 is a side view of the structure manufactured in FIG. 15 takenalong line 18-18. The first laminate 24 is on one side of the wire grid12 and the second laminate 28 is on the other side of the wire grid 12.It can be seen in this stage that the two laminates 24 and 28 are notformed around the wire grid 12, but have void spaces 52 in between. FIG.19 is a side view of the structure manufactured in FIG. 15 taken alongline 19-19. Heat has been applied to form or mold both laminates 24 and28 around the wire grid 12. The void spaces 52 have been eliminated.

FIGS. 20 and 22 illustrate side views of the structures manufactured inFIGS. 16 and 17 respectively taken along lines 20-20 and 22-22 therein.In FIG. 20, the first laminate 24 is on the underside of the wire grid12 and the second laminate 28 is omitted. In FIG. 22, the secondlaminate 28 is on the top side of the wire grid 12 and the firstlaminate 24 is omitted. As in FIG. 18, the individual laminates 22 or 28are not formed around the wire grid 12, but have void spaces 52 inbetween the wires 14,22. FIGS. 21 and 23 are side views of the structuremanufactured in FIGS. 16 and 17 respectively taken along lines 21-21 and23-23 thereof. With heat having been applied to the single laminates 24and 28, both respectively form or mold themselves to the wire grid 12.The void spaces 52 have been eliminated. Where only a single laminate isused in either of these illustrated embodiments, the wire grid 12 isexposed on the side of the laminate 24 or 28 that has been omitted.

The theft proof product packaging material 34 can then be formed into amultitude of packing designs. FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a clampack 60 embodying the present invention about to package a product 62.The product 62 is placed between a backing 64 and the packaging material34. The backing 64 can be cardboard, wood, metal, plastic or any otherappropriate material. FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the clam pack 60of FIG. 24 now packaging the product 62. The material 34 has beenpressed over the product 62 and the ends of the material folded over thebacking 64. The ends may then be bonded or glued in place such that itcannot be easily opened.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a clamshell mold 66 embodying thepresent invention. The clamshell mold 66 can be used to form thematerial 34 into a clamshell package 68. FIG. 27 is a perspective viewof a clamshell package 68 before it is folded. The clamshell 68 has afront side 74 and a back side 76. Once the clamshell 68 has been formed,it can now package a product 62. FIG. 28 is a perspective view of theclamshell 68 of FIG. 27 now folded about to package a product 62. FIG.29 is a perspective view of the clamshell 68 of FIG. 27 now packaging aproduct 62.

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of the structure of FIG. 29 now resistantto cutting with a knife or razor 70. The theft proof product package 72securely contains the product 62. A razor 70 can easily cut the plastic,but it can't cut the wire grid/mesh 12. The plastic laminates 24 and 28hold the wire grid/mesh 12 from being opened or moved aside. The wiregrid 12 and plastic laminates 24 and 28 work together to create a tamperand theft resistance package. A thief can no longer easily open apackage within a store to remove the product from the packaging. Whenthe consumer buys the product, the consumer may use a pair of scissorsto open the package. The scissors create a shearing action that isneeded to cut through the wire mesh/grid 12. A knife or razor 70 cannotdo this.

The cut-resistant wire-embedded plastic shell 72 allows the product tobe seen underneath while presenting a visual deterrent to potentialthieves. The theft proof product package 72 also would require a thiefto spend a longer amount of time trying to remove the contents. Manythieves will be discouraged from theft due to the increased time ittakes to steal a product.

FIG. 31 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the clam pack depicted inFIGS. 24 and 25. In this embodiment, the theft-proof packaging material34 including the unobstructed area 88 is used. In this way, the backing64 can include trade identity information 90 such as a logo or otherproduct identification which is not obstructed by the wire grid 12 orother theft-proof features of the packaging. FIG. 32 illustrates how thepackaging material 34 including the unobstructed area 88 is attached tothe backing 64 in such a way that the trade identity information 90appears through the unobstructed area 88. The packaging material 34 andthe backing material 64 are attached as described above in connectionwith FIG. 25.

The cut-resistant wire grid 12 can be formed from a multitude ofmaterials including metals such as copper or steel, and also from cutresistant fabrics, such as Kevlar. Alternatively, the wire grid 12 caninclude a fabric core with a cut resistant coating such as a metallic orceramic coating. As can be seen by one skilled in the art, various wirescan be devised that are formable into a product package while beingresistant to cutting with a knife or razor.

Because the wire mesh/grid 12 does the bulk of the work to stop a razorblade 70, the plastic laminates 24 and 28 or plastic feed 40 used can bethinner. This means there is less waste used in making plasticcontainers as less plastic is needed. Typically, a laminate of plasticis about 20 thousands of an inch thick. With the present invention, thatthickness can be reduced to 6-10 thousands of an inch. For example, twolaminates 24 and 28 at 6 thousands of an inch thickness would be a totalthickness of 12 thousands. This is substantially thinner than thestandard 20 thousands of an inch thickness used today.

FIG. 33 depicts a simplified perspective view of another exemplarymanufacturing process of the present invention. The process depicted inFIG. 3 begins with a wire grid as is manufactured in FIG. 1 above. Thiswire grid is formed into one or more blister packs 60 through a machineprocess such as a tool and die 92. The tool and die 92 conforms the wiregrid 12 to a particular shape configured to accept a product 62. Afterthe tool and die process 92, the formed wire grid is passed through anadhesive machine 94 to apply and cure the adhesive material 82 to thewire grid as described above in connection with FIGS. 2A and 2B. Theblister pack 60 then moves to a plasticizing process 96 that appliesplastic or laminate material 24, 28 to the blister pack 60 using one ofthe methods described above, particularly those of FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of a blister pack 60 embodying the presentinvention about to package a product 62. The material 34 has beenpreformed to match the product 62. Alternatively, the product 62 may bepackaged with filler such as cardboard or Styrofoam to conform to theblister pack 60. The backing 64 is formed to go around the material 34and then fold over upon itself. The backing 64 is shown as one layer,but can be made from multiple layers of card stock or varyingthicknesses and densities of cardboard. For instance, the backing 64could be formed from two layers of card stock to give it sufficientstiffness and strength. The hole of the backing 64 contains one end ofthe material 34 and the backing 64 is then folded over one layer andadhered/sealed to itself. FIG. 35 is a perspective view of the blisterpack of FIG. 34 now packaging a product.

The exemplary embodiments shown herein used two sets of wires 14 and 22to form a wire grid 12. However, it is possible by one skilled in theart that only one set of wires 14 are required to form the theft proofproduct packaging material 34, as this disclosure is not necessarilylimiting it to the required use of two wires 14 and 22. For example, oneset of wires 14 may be utilized where the wires 14 are laid along a wavy(non-straight) pattern such that they essentially perform the functionof a wire grid 12.

The theft proof product packaging material 34 can not only be used tomake a blister pack and clamshell packages, but can be used to makeother general packages such as boxes, tubes, shipping containers,envelopes and so forth. It is to be understood by one skilled in the artthat the theft proof packaging material 34 can be used to a make amultitude of theft proof packages 72 beyond those specific embodimentsshown and described herein.

Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposesof illustration, various modifications may be made to each withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, theinvention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.

1. Theft-resistant product packaging, comprising: a front shellcomprising a matrix of cut-resistant strands disposed within or adjacentto a plastic substrate; a back cover disposed relative to the frontshell so as to form a cavity configured to contain a product; and meansfor securing the front shell to the back cover.
 2. The theft-resistantproduct packaging of claim 1, wherein the cut-resistant strands comprisemetal, fiber or fabric.
 3. The theft-resistant product packaging ofclaim 2, wherein the metal, fabric or fiber strands include a hard,outer shell comprising a hardened adhesive, a powdered metal, or aceramic material.
 4. The theft-resistant product packaging of any ofclaims 1-3, wherein the matrix comprises a grid of cut-resistant strandsoverlayed, weaved, or twisted with respect to intersecting strands. 5.The theft-resistant product packaging of claim 4, wherein thecut-resistant strands are disposed in the grid so as to form squares,rectangles, diamonds or parallelograms.
 6. The theft-resistant productpackaging of claim 4, wherein the intersecting strands are welded, gluedor bound at the points of intersection.
 7. The theft-resistant productpackaging of any of claims 1-3, wherein the plastic substrate comprisesa laminate of thermoplastic or bio-film material formed around thematrix.
 8. The theft-resistant product packaging of claim 7, wherein theplastic substrate comprises first and second laminates of thermoplasticor bio-film material disposed on opposite sides of the matrix and formedaround the matrix.
 9. The theft-resistant product packaging of any ofclaims 1-3, wherein the front shell is preformed with a recessconforming to a shape of the product.
 10. The theft-resistant productpackaging of claim 1, wherein the back cover comprises cardboard, wood,metal, plastic or a matrix of cut-resistant strands disposed within oradjacent to a plastic substrate.
 11. The theft-resistant productpackaging of any of claim 1-3 or 10, wherein the securing meanscomprises folding, bonding, gluing and/or stapling edges of the frontshell and back cover together.
 12. Theft-resistant product packaging,comprising: a front shell comprising a matrix of cut-resistant metal,fiber or fabric strands disposed within or adjacent to a plasticsubstrate, wherein the plastic substrate comprises a laminate ofthermoplastic or bio-film material formed around the matrix, the frontshell being preformed with a recess conforming to a shape of a product;a back cover disposed relative to the front shell; and means forsecuring the front shell to the back cover.
 13. The theft-resistantproduct packaging of claim 12, wherein the metal, fabric or fiberstrands include a hard, outer shell comprising a hardened adhesive, apowdered metal, or a ceramic material.
 14. The theft-resistant productpackaging of claim 12 or 13, wherein the matrix comprises a grid ofcut-resistant strands overlayed, weaved, or twisted with respect tointersecting strands, wherein the cut-resistant strands are disposed inthe grid so as to form squares, rectangles, diamonds or parallelograms.15. The theft-resistant product packaging of claim 14, wherein theintersecting strands are welded, glued or bound at the points ofintersection.
 16. The theft-resistant product packaging of claim 12,wherein the plastic substrate comprises first and second laminates ofthermoplastic or bio-film material disposed on opposite sides of thematrix and formed around the matrix.
 17. The theft-resistant productpackaging of claim 12, wherein the back cover comprises cardboard, wood,metal, plastic or a matrix of cut-resistant strands disposed within oradjacent to a plastic substrate.
 18. The theft-resistant productpackaging of any of claims 12, wherein the securing means comprisesfolding, bonding, gluing and/or stapling edges of the front shell andback cover together.